Washing-machine



(No Model.)

S. D. COLE.

WASHING MACHINE.

No. 592,694. Patented Oct. 26,1897.

E "II- IVVENTOH mw/T@ A rToHNEn/s.

UNITED STATES PATENT EErcE.

STEPHEN D. COLE, OF WALLACE, IDAHO.l

WASHING- MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 592,694, dated October 26, 1897.

` Application filed May 28, 1897. Serial No. 638,528. No model.) v

Wallace, in the county of Shoshone and StateV of Idaho, have invented a new and useful Improvement in lashing-Machines, of which the following is a specification. L

My invention is in the 'nat-ure of anim-l proved washing-machine for washing clothes in a thorough and expeditious manner in a lower arranged to bear upon the top of theV clothes in the cage vand having an opposite movement from the cage, as will be hereinafter more fully described with reference t0 the drawings, in which- Figure l is a perspective View of mymachine with a part of the outer tank broken Fig. 2 is a awayrto show the cage within. vertical longitudinaljsection'. Fig.v2a is an enlarged detail view, of one of the pitmen E shown in relation to the crank-shaft and the'V socket-plate M. Fig. 3 is a verticaltrans- 'verse section.V Figs. 4. and 5 are side and top views of the slatted lid or follower; and Fig. 6 is a detail in horizontal section of one corner of the cage, showingthe form of the slats.

In the drawings, A represents a rectangular y water-tight tankv or casing'of suitable size,

somewhat longer than it is wide, mounted upon legs and provided with a drainage-cock L. Within this tank thereis suspended upon spring-hangers G at the ends a slatted cage or basket B, conforming in geheral'shape to the tank, but somewhat smaller than kthe same, so as to leave an open space around it on all sides and alsonunder the bottom.' The space around its sidesallows'of the horizontal reciprocationV of the cage upon its hangers, while the space at the bottom keeps the clothes out of contact with any sediment or dirtin the bottom of the tank. v

The cage is made of slats beaded on the inner sides, as shown in Fig. 6, so as not to tear the clothes, and the side and end slats .per'portions than there is between their lower portions. A `\Vithin the cage there loosely fits a slatted Vlid or follower C. The slats of this lid are arranged'longitudinally and are connected vby suitable cross-pieces, and said longitudinal slats are longer than the length' ofthe cage, and the slats are of such size and spacing as to pass through the spaces between the slats at the ends of the cage, as shown in Figs. l and 2, and work freely through the same with a longitudinal reciprocation. The shoulders d on the end slats form a support to sustain the slats of the lid and prevent it from dropping down to the bottom of the cage when thelatter is empty.

Within the upper edges of the side Walls of the tank near one end there are formed slots, which are closed by journalfplates 71, having Babbitt-metal bearings, in which is j ournaled a transverse crank-shaft D, having upon one end a fly-wheel J 'and uponv the other a small band-pulley H, driven by a belt N from a larger hand-crank pulley vO. This crank-shaft has near its ends within the tank two double cranks b b and nearthe middle another double crank c', which extends from the center of the shaft in an opposite directionfrom the cranks l) l?. The cranks h biit within the forked ends of pitmen E E, whose opposite ends are received within socketplates M M on the upper edge of the cage. These pitmen E E are thus made easily detachable, as one end of each is simply seated in the concave bearing in one side of the socket-plate M, while the other forked end embraces the crank-shaft, the pitmen being held in place against falling out by the end thrust put upon them by the springs K. The 'crank c lits within the forked end f of a pitman F, (see Fig. 4,) Whose opposite end is jointed to a cleat g on the top of the lid or follower C.

K are spiral springs, one end fastened to the cage and the other to the tank, to return the cage B after being thrust forward by the lpitmen E, and S isa spiral, spring, one end fastened to the tank andthe other to the cleat g of the lid, to return the latter after being thrust forward by the pitman F. Now when the crank-shaft D revolves it will be seen that a longitudinal reciprocation is im- IOO parted to the cage B as it is suspended upon its hangers, while an opposite reeiprocation is imparted to the lid or follower C, which rests upon the top of the clothes, the ends of the slats of the lid playing freely through the spaces between the slats of the ends of the cage. This reeiprocation is very rapid, the multiplication of the revolutions of sh aft D by the different-sized pulleys O and Il amounting to about three or four hundred per minute. This causes a violent agitation of the water and a rubbing of the clothes from all sides and also the top, causing the clothes to be washed very quickly. The clothes should not be packed tightly in the cage, and are held in a state of suspension in the water, so as to be thrown about with a short quick jerking action that causes a very efficient cleansing` action without any destructive' strains or wearing abrasive action.

To remove the clothes, the crank-shaft D is turned to a position that moves the cage to its extreme throw in one direction, while the lid is drawn in the opposite direction and the spring S is uuhooked. In this position the lid C may be forced still farther back through the slats of the cage until the forked end fof the pitman F is dislodged from the crankshaft and the lid is then taken out one end at a time by the handhold in the cleat g.

Having thus described myiuvention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

l. A washing-machine, comprising a tank or ease, an open cage suspended within the tank for horizontal reciproeation and having vertieally-slatted ends7 a slatted follower of greater length than the cage adapted to rest upon the top of the clothes in the cage and having its slats protruding through the spaces between the end slats of the cage, and means for ixnpartingan opposite reciprocation to the cage and its follower substantially as and for the purposes described.

2. A washing-machine consisting of a tank, a suspended cage therein having Vertical end slats with shoulders d near their lower ends, a Slatted follower arranged within the cago and having its slats protruding between the end slats of the cage and adapted to rest, when the cage is empty, upon the shoulders d, and means for reciprocating the cage and follower substantially as and for the purpose described.

A washing-machine consisting of a tank, a slatted cage B with hangers G for suspending it within the tank, the slatted follower' C, a crank-shaft D connected by pitmen to the cage and also to the follower for opposite reeiprocation, and springs K and S for bringing back the said cage and follower after having been advanced by the pitmen substantially as and for the purpose described.

4. In a washing-machine, the combination with the tank and the suspended cage; of a crank-shaft arranged in the tank, a socketplate M secured to the cage, and a detachable pitman E having a fork or slot at one end embracing the crank of the shaft and having its other end seated in the socket-plate, and a spring for returning the cage substantially as and for the purpose described.

STEPHEN D. COLE. lVitnesses:

JOHN M. FINN, Ton HENEY. 

